The Sweetest Thing
by TheYoungTimpani
Summary: Set just after and two months after "Aliyah". Tony thinks back on his relationship with Ziva and when she returns they both hope that they can make things better this time. Based on the song by U2. Oneshot. Tiva.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own NCIS nor do I own the song.

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**Author's Note: **I don't know how next season's gonna go, I can only hope that it goes well. This fic isn't exactly how I hope next season starts, but I think its a bit more realistic than the extended make-out session that I was hoping for.

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_My love throws me like a rubber ball_

_(Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing)_

For the past four years, everything had been back and forth between them. A few years would be marked by her openly fighting for his attention; the next few years would be the exact opposite. Just when things would get calmed down, something would happen that threw the entire situation into another vicious cycle.

_She won't catch me or break my fall_

_(Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing)_

This time, however, something had gone really wrong. They would usually have a fight and then they would come right back to their normal behavior; however, this time, she did not come back to him to make up. This time she was across the world from him and, from what he understood, did not want to see him ever again.

_Baby's got blue skies up ahead_

_But in this I'm a rain cloud_

She wanted a life without him and there was nothing that he could ever do to change her mind. She was bound to move on eventually, but she was going to move on to a life without him. Her life was going to be completely Tony-free. Just like she wanted it. He had only hurt her recently. He had not meant to, but there was no denying that he had.

_You know she likes a dry kind of love_

_(Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing)_

There was no way to convince her that he had acted out of love. There was no way to tell her that he thought, no, he _knew_ that Rivkin was not being faithful to her. He just did not want to see her hurt and he knew that she was going to be hurt if she stayed with him. He did not mean for it to end the way it did, he just wanted Rivkin gone. He had never wanted him dead.

_I'm losing you_

_I'm losing you yeah_

_Ain't love the sweetest thing_

Tony could no longer deny that he was in love with Ziva. It hurt more than anything else ever had to lose her. It was as if someone had ripped his heart out and stepped on it then forced him to swallow it whole. He wanted her back so bad. He just wanted her to know that he loved her.

_I wanted to run but she made me crawl_

_(Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing)_

She stopped him cold in his tracks. Her power over him was amazing. No other woman had ever held such control on him. She could make him do whatever she wanted him to; unfortunately, right now, she wanted him gone and he had no choice but to oblige.

_Eternal fire, she turned me to straw_

_(Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing)_

The last time he had spoke to her, the rage was obviously burning bright in her eyes. She shot him looks that could kill a man. Even through all that, he still wanted to keep her close. He still wanted to make her love him and to see that everything was going to be fine; that she deserved better than someone who would cheat on her. Tony wanted her to know that he would never bat an eye around any other woman if she would just give him a chance. She made it very clear, that she would kill him if she was given the chance.

_You know I got black eyes_

_But they burn so brightly for her_

_This is a blind kind of love_

_(Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing)_

He had been beaten to the ground by the man that she loved, but he was still willing to take a hit for her. Even if the hit was from her. He let her throw him to the ground. He let her hold a gun to his chest. He let her get out all of her anger. Nothing would make him love her any less. He loved her through all of the anger; through all of the rage, he would still give his life for her and anything she wanted. If she wanted him dead, he would die.

_I'm losing you_

_Oh oh oh, I'm losing you_

_Ain't love the sweetest thing_

He had almost had to go that far. That love had almost cost him his life. For once in his life, he was willing to give up everything for love. When Gibbs told them that she was not coming back, he did not know what to do. It was a good thing that Gibbs had told the crew to shut the door before he told Tony that she was not coming; otherwise, Tony would have jumped off the plane after her.

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**Two Months Later**

_Blue-eyed boy meets a brown-eyed girl_

_(Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing)_

The doors to the elevator slid open and Tony walked straight out into someone. When he opened his eyes, he was looking into a pair of brown ones looking at him in surprise. He stepped back. He would recognize those eyes anywhere. He looked her over from head to toe, he paused of a moment on the recovering bruises across her face. It felt like someone was clenching his heart as he looked at the marks and scars. No one should touch his Ziva like that. He could only hope that her attackers had been tortured threefold and then killed slowly.

_You can sew it up but you still see the tear_

_(Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing)_

"Tony," she said slowly, looking back into his eyes.

He took in a deep breath, "I thought you were never coming back."

"Things have changed," she stated.

"Ziva...you've been beaten," he said softly, "Tell me they're dead."

"They are," she said, with a ghost of a smile fluttering on her face.

"I hope they died a painful death," he said, looking at her with a soft expression on his face.

She did not know what to make of his actions. She had been fully prepared to be angry at him again, but then she would think back to her time in captivity. She would think of him and his antics, the humor kept her from cracking. She would never tell them anything that could get him hurt or put him in danger.

They were starting to heal, but they still had a long way to go before they were back to normal.

_Baby's got blue skies up ahead_

_But in this I'm a rain cloud_

_Ours is a stormy kind of love_

Maybe she needed someone like Tony. Sure he screwed things up almost anytime he was involved in anything, but every life needed someone like that. Plus, he was beginning to grow out of that phase. Ziva paused before she got on the elevator and gave him a genuine smile. Things were going to get much better. They had a strange relationship before, everything would be fine soon.

_Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing_

He turned around just before the elevator doors closed and just before she was completely cut off from him, he whispered, "I love you." The doors slid the rest of the way shut. He did not know if she had heard him and neither did she, but both knew that this time, things were going to be better.

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**A.N.: **The song is _The Sweetest Thing _by U2. I love U2! They're so awesome.

Anyways, like I said, that's one theory for how next season could start...there is a big blank space there though, just helped the story stay with the song better, though.

Hey, if you're needing some reading, might I recommend my other fic _Le Voyage de Retour_. Its a multichap and I've just now started it, so if you get to reading it, I'll update soon.


End file.
